No 'massive crisis' - Martin Keown insists Arsenal 'way better' despite UEFA Champions League loss to Inter Milan
Published 06/11/2024 at 22:57 GMT
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown thinks he saw more fight from the Gunners as they were beaten 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League by Inter. It is a second successive loss for Mikel Arteta's side, following their reversal by the same scoreline to Newcastle in the Premier League last weekend. Keown, though, insists there is no "crisis" at the club.
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TNT Sports pundit Martin Keown insists Arsenal's performance against Inter Milan was an "upgrade" on their defeat to Newcastle at the weekend, despite another 1-0 loss.
Mikel Arteta's side have now lost three of their last six outings across all competitions.
Hakan Çalhanoglu's penalty in first-half injury time was enough to settle the UEFA Champions League clash at the San Siro.
The Gunners enjoyed 63% of the possession and had 20 shots compared to their opponents' seven, but could find no way past a stubborn defence.
It is the first time they have failed to score in back-to-back matches since April, but Keown believes there were plenty of positives to take from the display.
"In that second half, Arsenal did almost everything they could to score a goal here," he said on TNT Sports. "I saw really good reactions.
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"Everyone wants to put Arsenal away. I don't think there's a massive crisis for Arsenal. I don't think they're that far away from getting it right.
"They've got to keep believing in what they're doing. Yes, they're not scoring goals, but I thought Nwaneri came on, perhaps should have been a bit earlier, he demonstrated some real quality."
The defeat is Arsenal's first in the Champions League this season and leaves them with seven points from four games.
With Dinamo Zagreb and Girona amongst the four opponents they have yet to play, the North London outfit are still well-placed to reach the knockout stages.
However, manager Mikel Arteta will likely be concerned by his side's form.
Defeat to Newcastle at the weekend means they have slipped to fifth in the Premier League table, seven points off leaders Liverpool.
But Keown continued: "I thought this second half performance from Arsenal was way better than what we saw at the weekend. I have to stand up for this team. I saw enough in that second half.
"Okay, they didn't put the ball in the back of the net, but you saw Inter Milan players strewn across the deck. That's 11 games now that they've gone unbeaten here. This is a very difficult place to come.
"I get it. Nwaneri perhaps should have been on the pitch a little bit sooner, but that was definitely an upgrade on the performance we saw against Newcastle.
"There was no fight in the team at the weekend. I saw plenty of fight here tonight."
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Keown, who won three Premier League titles and three FA Cups during his playing career with Arsenal, was also quick to praise the Italian hosts.
The victory was their third out of four games in the competition this season, and Simone Inzaghi's side are still yet to concede a goal.
"All credit to Inter," he added. "Two years since they lost a Champions League game here. Their players were on their knees at the end of the game.
"Arsenal really pushed them. Fourty-six crosses in the game, umpteen corners.
"Arsenal dominated that second half, so they can build on that, but they've lost again, and that's where the problems are for Arsenal. But they did have opportunities."
'The creativity wasn't there'
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was less effusive in his praise of Arsenal though.
The Gunners have struggled for goals this season, particularly in Europe.
Their four Champions League games so far have yielded just three strikes.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Ferdinand said: "[They will be] hugely frustrated. I think it's 46 crosses in this game, the second most in the Champions League this season. They were putting the ball in the box.
"Second half especially, they got into some good areas around the box. But again, the creativity wasn't there. The imagination, the pictures, the guile around the box.
"This has been said far too often this season, when Odegaard hasn't played this year.
"Ethan Nwaneri, when he came on today, I think he showed flashes. Are they going to give him a little bit more time, a little bit more responsibility, because he seems to have that little bit of imagination to unlock things when it's tight.
"But far too often, it was just the ball slung into the box without any real idea.
"Have they got the players in that position, in the centre forward areas, that when you throw the ball in the box and lump it in the box, to really capitalise?
"Today we saw again that it wasn't to be."
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